Understanding the Association between Wealth, Long-Acting Contraception, and the for-Profit Sector

Use of long-acting and permanent methods of contraception (LAPMs) is critical to obtaining sustained reductions in fertility and ensuring that women achieve their ideal family size, yet anecdotal evidence suggests that cost may be a barrier to using these methods, especially from the for-profit sector. Thus, we systematically explored the relationship between household wealth, use of LAPMs, and the source where women obtain these methods. We conducted multivariate analyses using Demographic Health Survey data from 14 countries. Findings include: Wealthier women are more likely than poorer women to use LAPMs, except for South Asian countries; wealthier women are more likely than poorer women to get their LAPMs from the for-profit sector; and the extent to which the poorest women use the for-profit sector for LAPMs varies widely across countries. These findings can help improve programs so they respond better to women’s needs for family planning, especially lower- and middle-income women.

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